21.08.2007 13:00 Summit!!!

12-50 Andrey Mariev and Vadim Popovich had a radio communication from K2 summit! At 12.50 Pakistan time, 11.50 Moscow time, Andrey Mariev and Vadim Popovich reached the summit of

К2 !
Russian National team first-ever

succeeded on the hardest route - Russian!- via the West Face of K2- the most complicated world mountain!

Congratulations!!! Thanks for your support!

Victor Kozlov, the head of Russian National K2 expedition

Expedition chronicle:

30.07.07, 15.30 Victor Kozlov called from base camp: Now two groups: a trio led by Sokolov and four climbers led by Shabalin are working on the route above. Yesterday they reached the top point of fixed ropes at about 16.00 and climbed 1,5 pitches more. Today - 6,5 pitches more are done. The expedition team finally reached the snow terrain. The bastion has been climbed! But the West Face climb will be continued via snow, ice and rocks. Tomorrow the guys will try to climb further and set Camp 6 on the safety place under the rocks.

27.07.07 Shabalin's group, Chorny and Bychkovsky left from BC to ABC. Sokolov's group will climb in camp 3 if weather allows.

26.07.07 Sokolov's group made a cargo-climb from camp C1 to C2.

25.07.07 Sokolov's group made a cargo-climb from ABC to С1 and rehabilitated the camp. The support group left BC.

24.07.07 Sokolov's group climbed from BC to ABC.

23.07.07 The groups led by Bolotov and Totmyanin descended to BC.

The support group visited BC.

22.07.07 Bolotov's descended to ABC, Totmyanin's group made a cargo-climb to camp 4 and descended to ABC too. A big powder avalanche collapsed via the couloir from the left of West face bastion coursing destruction of the tents in camp 1 by blast: the outer canvas were torn and rods - bent. The equipment inside tents remained uncrippled by the avalanche.

Camp 5 has been set, but the bad weather put the breakes on the climb

Pavel Shabalin called from BC:

Greetings to all! We're in the BC. The Camp 5 was set on the route 3 days ago by Bolotov's group at the top point of fixed by Sokolov and Vinogradsky ropes. Altitude - about 7500 meters according an altimeter. The real altitude is difficult to fix because of appreciable difference data for the same place of some team's GPSs. During the last cargo-climb we brought 9 ropes and climbing gear to set C5. After setting C5 Bolotov's group managed to climb 1,5 ropes - difficult overhanging rocks again... Yesterday very bad weather prevented them to work. Today the group is descending. Totmyanin's group set off. In case of a strong wind they'll wait it out in C3 - at a very comfortable tent. Nikolay Cherny ascended to the col and made some pictures of the upper part of the route not visible yet from Camp 5.

We'll reach the snow field soon...

21.07.07 Weather deteriorated. Snowing and a strong wind. The two-man team Bolotov - Kirievsky reached the end of fixed ropes, but could not o work further. Totmyanin group made a cargo-climb to C3. The forecast for all the week is bad.

20.07.07 Bolotov's group made a cargo-climb and pitched a tent of C5 in 7 pitches above camp C4. Korobkov and Bolotov made 2 pitches more upwards. Climbing was very hard again. The group led by Totmyanin made a cargo-climb from ABC to right to C2.

Vitaly Ivanov and helping him Vladimir Kochurov arrived to Moscow. Vitaly will get treatment in one of the Moscow clinics.

19.07.07 Bolotov's and Totmyanin's groups are working on the West Face.

Shabalin's group descended to BC for rest. The weather has settled at last. Bolotov's got to С4 lifting a gear and strengthened the tent. Group led by Totmyanin climbed to ABC.

14.07.07 Snowfall is going on. The duo Shabalin - Tukhvatullin stay in camp S2, duo Mariev-Popovich did a cargo-climb from С2 in С3 and dug out a tent in camp C3. The group led by Sokolov remains in C4.

13.07.07 Weather deteriorated - the sky is cloudy, it's snowing and windy. Sokolov's group is in С4 periodically digging a tent out from the accumulated between the tent and slope snow brought by powder avalanches. Shabalin's group is climbing from С1 to С2.

12.07.07 Shabalin's group climbed from ABC to С1, Totmyanin's group descended to BC for rest, Sokolov's group made two pitches more.

11.07.07 Shabalin's group ascended from BC in ABC. Sokolov's group reached С4. Totmyanin's group made three pitches and descended to spend the night in С2.

10.07.07 Sokolov's group climbed from С2 to С3, then a two-man team Sokolov-Gorelik descended and made a cargo-climb C2-C3. Totmyanin's group moved C4 six pitches up and fixed one rope more. Volodin has a sore throat and went downwards.

09.07.07 Weather is excellent. Sokolov's group climbed from ABC to С2. Totmyanin's group made three pitches and prepared a site for the next setting of C4.

08.07.07 All the night long and day long it was snowing. Bolotov's group descended to BC for rest. Sokolov's group remained in ABC. Totmyanin's group works above С4, but because of heavy powder avalanches managed to do only a carry-climb up to the end of fixed ropes.

25.06.07 Group led by Totmyanin has changed Bolotov's group and continued fixing the rope above С2: a duo Totmyanin-Shamalo made three pitches more and got a snow ledge where it was possible to set to shape a platform under a tent Solo +, Volodin and Komarov made a cargo climb from С2. The three climbers stayed for the night at С3 Komarov descended to С2. The group led by Gleb Sokolov hauled the gear from ABC to С1.
26.06.07 A two-man team Volodin-Shamalo made three pitches above С3, and Totmyanin and Komarov lifted the gear from С2 to С3. The three climbers spent the night at С3
Komarov descended to С2 where the advanced two climbers of the next group (Sokolov, Gorelik) had settled down.
27.06.07 Totmyanin's group climbed one more pitch hauling the gear to the top point of fixed ropes and descended to ABC. The duo Sokolov-Gorelik lifted the load from С2 to С3 and got the gear to the top point of fixed ropes for depot and stayed for the night at С3. The duo Vinogradsky-Ivanov lifted the gear from С1 to С2.
28.06.07 The duo Sokolov-Gorelik made one pitch more and descended to С2, the duo Vinogradsky-Ivanov lifted a cargo from С2 to С3 and stayed for the night in С3. Totmyanin's group descended to BC for rest Shabalin's set off from BC to С1. By the evening the weather deteriorated. It was raining in BC, and in ABC and above began snowing and a strong wind.
29.06.07 Sokolov's group descended to ABC, Shabalin's group, despite of bad weather, set off to С2.
30.06.07 Weather began to change for the better: snowfall stopped, overcast scattered. Shabalin's group ascended to С3, and expanded the site for a more capacious tent up to 6 people.
The duo Vinogradsky-Ivanov together with the senior coach and the doctor descended to BC, and the duo Sokolov-Gorelik remained in ABC for secure of the advanced group. Tomorrow, if weather hold, Shabalin's group will continue working on the route, and Bolotov's group will set off to ABC.
After the first abrupt rocky belt of the bastion psychologically identical to Jannu North Face headwall, not less hard rocks of bastion's central part at 7000 m and higher begin. The skill of good climbing but also "to hold" cold and high altitude is required here. The guys hope to get altitude by free climbing if the weather permits. The wall is tough with many long vertical cracks and ice-filled corners: in a word, it's open space for drytolling. Team's mood is fighting.
Victor Kozlov, Nikolay Totmyanin.